George Smart (1774-1846) feltwork collage picture of The Earth Stopper, the rear of the picture with a label detailing in print ‘The Business of an Earth Stopper, the Night previous to a Day’s Sport, is to stop up the Fox’s Earth whilst he is out Feeding. The above gentle Swain is supposed to be on his way home, when by a sudden turn of the Lane he is brought plump upon what he conceives to be nothing more or less than the Devil, but which in fact is a simple Sweep and his Donkey’. 17cm X 24cm George Smart was a tailor in the Sussex village of Frant. A local celebrity, references to him appear in various contemporary guidebooks from the early 1820's onwards. Contemporary prints show Smart’s house in the village, with an array of cloth figures displayed on the wall; George Smart himself can be seen standing in the road, tempting passers-by with his wares. The Postman is one ‘Old Bright’, a familiar local sight at the time, who trudged the road between Tunbridge Wells and Frant, ‘satchel across his shoulder and leading his ass.’ George Smart was a tailor and cloth collage artist noted for his portraits and dummyboards. Recognised as one of the key figures within the history of English Folk Art twenty one works by Smart were included in Tate Britain's British Folk Art exhibition in 2014. Tunbridge Wells Museum has nine examples of his work in their permanent collection and Compton Verney in Warwickshire has a further two works.